What a nightmare

<p>Samsung SA must be the most user unfriendly consumer goods company in South Africa.</p> <p> </p> <p>I first contacted their call centre to establish if they have a service centre for mobile phones in Cape Town - I was told that the certainly do have & was given their contact telephone number. I kid you not, the number that I was given isn't in service - you would think that Samsung's national call centre would have the correct information.</p> <p> </p> <p>Totally frustrated, I managed to find the correct phone number for what is supposidly the service centre situated in Century City.</p> <p> </p> <p>Further frustration - for the first 6 or 7 attemts, the phone was never answered. Eventually, while talking to the centre manager, I was told that they don't carry battery stock for their S5 Mini & this would need to be specially ordered for me - but I was told that I could buy one from one of their concept stores.</p> <p> </p> <p>A call to the V & A Waterfront store established that they don't carry stock of the battery because the phone - which is 2 years old - has been discontinued. The person who I spoke to suggested I call the service centre & they would certainly be able to help me.</p> <p> </p> <p>But the service centre is an anti-service centre because during my initial call to them, I was told that I would have to visit them, pay for the battery which would then be ordered for me & I would then be required to go back to them again after they had received the battery - maybe one day.</p> <p> </p> <p>Talk about needing to pay before the service has been rendered - fantastic business idea - for Samsung only.</p> <p> </p> <p>In a must higher stae of frustration I call the Samsung head office in the hop that I could speak to their national service manager to discuss this whole episode. Ha, I was transfered, sure - after insisting - to their call centre who continually refused to transfer my call back to the switchboard.</p> <p> </p> <p>I called in a further few times & whenever the switchboard operator saw the number that was calling, my call was either not answered or it was cut.</p> <p> </p> <p>So, my question is - do Samsung really expect me to remain a loyal customer or are they happy for me to move to another brand - one of their opposition?</p> <p> </p> <p>In all honesty I don't expect any member of their management to respond - if I treated my customers as they do theirs, I wouldn't have a business.</p> <p> </p>